The Maori Purse was a gift given to me by my mother when I was married in 1962 and left New Zealand to live overseas. She had been given it a long time before that date. It was a purse which my mother had kept for safe keeping. She only took it out to show people on certain occasions. I was very fortunate to have been given this special purse. It reminded me of New Zealand when I was overseas and how fortunate I was to be a New Zealander.

The beautiful and colourful plate is a souvenir from my mother. She gave it to me when she returned from her holiday overseas. The plate has a Chinese identity with its gold and red colours, edged with pictures of dragons and a Chinese temple and colourful flowers in the centre. It represents her thoughtfulness in thinking of family when she was on holiday.

My husband professor Kuan Meng GOH was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List of June 1999 for services to soil science and services to the community. He was foundation President of the Christchurch Ethnic Council & the NZ Federation of Ethnic Councils; National President of the NZ Chinese Association and a long serving Justice of the Peace.

The naming of GOH Street, Lincoln in 2013 was a great honour, in recognition of all of his achievements. Together with my family, we are very proud of all of his achievements.

Nancy GOH

2015

Nancy GOH

Nancy GOH was introduced to me by her sister, Lily LIU. I am amazed about their difference in personality. My conversation with Lily was centred on her daily ordinariness. With Nancy, it was about her husband Kuan Meng GOH, a first-generation Chinese New Zealander who had devoted his whole life to the academic. Naming a street in Christchurch after his surname GOH is a pride to Nancy and her family. For Nancy, recalling her past times with GOH, particularly about his achievement, is pleasurable. And traveling to GOH Street is to return home.

Placing GOH’s ONZM medal on top of the Maori purse and the Chinese plate that Nancy inherited from her mother not only reassure her family’s identity but also constitutes a cosy memory about her time as a young woman when she was overseas with GOH and moving back home together afterwards. For many Chinese who were born, or who have lived in a Western country for a long time, their identity is ambivalent when returning to their native Chinese home. How ambivalent? My brother and sisters in Hong Kong told me that I am not a Hongkonger any more!